Search for Provost Narrows to Two Finalists

VALDOSTA -- The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Search and Screening Committee released the names of two finalists
for the position. The 18-member search committee announced Dr. V.K.
Unni, vice president for Academic Affairs at Bryant University, and
Dr. David Glassman, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the
University of Southern Indiana, will interview on campus during the
month of April.

According to Dr. Jay Rickman, chair of the search committee, 74
applications were reviewed by the committee; and through an
extensive vetting process, the list was narrowed to 10 candidates,
who participated in off-campus interviews March 6-7.

An outside firm conducted in-depth reference checks on each of the
finalists, which included phone calls to references provided by the
candidate, as well as calls to faculty and staff at the candidate’s
current institution.

“Because of the importance of the Provost position to VSU’s future,
the members of the search committee decided that it was vital to
have a professional firm conduct the reference checks on the
finalists,” said Rickman. “Prior to this point, the committee
maintained the confidentiality of all applications received, and in
accord with equal opportunity guideline, candidates were notified
if they did not advance to the next stage throughout the search
process.”

Unni will be the first to visit on April 19-20 and Glassman is
scheduled for April 21-22. Both candidates will have scheduled
meetings with students, faculty, staff and members of the VSU
Foundation Board. Members of the university and local community are
invited to an open forum, where each candidate will give a
20-minute presentation, followed by a time for questions.